Releasable coupling for draft-equalizers.



0. s. GARLSON.

BELEASABLE COUPLING FOB. DRAFT EQUALIZBRS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.17, 1911.

1,019,596, Patented Mar. 5, 1912. I

MAMM

By Za'aA iloz'zwys Invad r,

CARL S. CARLSON, 0F AMERY, WISCONSIN.

RELEASABLE COUPLING FOR DRAFT-EQUALIZERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application filed April 17, 1911. Serial No. 621,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL S. GARLsoN, whose post-oilice address is Amery, VVisconsin, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amery, in the county of Folk and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Releasable Couplings for Draft-Equalizers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a releasable coupling for draft equalizers, especially adapted or use on logging sleds whereby the draft animals may be quickly released from the sled, in case of an accident.

To the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in i the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device attached to a sled pole, some parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, some parts bein shown in different positions by means of otted lines, and some parts shown in section; Fig.3 is aplan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and, Fig. 4 is a detail view in vertical section taken on the line 00* w of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates the rear portion of a sled pole and the numeral 2 indicates the intermediate portion of a draft equalizer, having secured to its intermediate portion a ring 3, by means of a clevis 4.

The improved coupling comprises a base block 5 having an upwardly and forwardly inclined wearing surface 6 on which the ring 3 is normally supported. At its forward end, the base block 5 terminates in a pair of laterally and horizontally spaced lugs 7 and its rear end terminates in an anchor hook 8 arranged to embrace the rear end and the underside of the pole 1. Aside from the anchor hook 8, the base block 5 is further secured to the pole 1 by means of a nutted bolt 9.

A hooked end lever coupling 10 is provided for detachably locking the ring 3 of the draft equalizer to the base block 5. The hooked or forward end of the lever coupling 10 is pivotally mounted, between the lugs 7, on a pivot pin 11 and which pin, in turn, is mounted in said lugs. The free end of the lever coupling 10 is passed through the ring 3 and normally projects rearward and rests on the upper surface of the base block 5. At its free end the lever coupling 10 is locked to the base block 5 by means of a rectangular lock loop 12 having on one side an integrally formed arm 13. This arm normally projects forward and is provided at its free end with an eye 14, to which is secured an operating rope 15, and which rope may extend to any convenient place within easy reach of the driver. The lock loop 12 embraces the base block 5 and its lower horizontal bar is pivotally mounted, for limited movement; in a notched seat 16 formed in the under horizontal surface of the base block 5, and said loop is held in its seat 16 against displacement by means of the pole 1.

Normally the lock loop 12 projects vertically upward and embraces the free end of the lever coupling 10 and is so arranged that when its arm 13 is moved upward and rearward, by means of the connection 15, (as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2) the lock loop 12 will be moved out of enga ement with the lever coupling 10 and there y release the same. As soon as the lever coupling 10 is released from the lock loo 12, the pull on the draft equalizer will t row the lever coupling 10 forward into an inoperative position, (as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2) and thereby permit the ring 3 to slide off from the lever coupling 10 and to release the draft equalizer 2 from the pole 1. Owing to the arrangement of the lever coupling 10, there is very little strain on the lock loop 12 and the weight of the arm 13 holds the lock loop 12 in its operative position.

The term pole, herein used,in the broad sense is the equivalent of any kind of a device or implement drawn or dragged by the draft device.

The above device while extremely simple and of small cost has, in actual practice, been found highly efficient for the purpose had in view.

What I claim is:

In a device of the kind described, the combination with a pole and a draft device, of a base block having an anchoring hook embracing the rear end of said pole, a hook ended lever coupling pivotally attached at its hooked end to said base block, a connection from said draft device to said lever coupling a lock loop pivotally attached to said base block, arranged to em brace the free end of said lever coupling for holding the same in an operative position, and having a normally forwardly projecting operating arm normally holding said lock loop in an operative position under the action of gravity, and an operating connection secured to the arm of said lock loop, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

W. W. WINCHESTER, PETER JoHNsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

